Uncategorized – Page 52 – Living Wonderously

After being without a set of wheels since the day several months ago when his bike was stolen, Lee finally found the bike that was right. He is now the proud owner of a Fuji Absolute 2.1.

Before the wind kicked up this morning we went out for a bike ride–the maiden voyage for Lee’s Fuji, with me following behind on my trusty Specialized. We headed for one of our favorite bike trails, the North Diversion Channel Trail. Our turnaround point was on Lomas Boulevard, where the trail ends at the edge of the University of New Mexico campus. Lee spotted a Donut Mart down the street and we headed that way. I thought the label on the bag that the clerk put our purchase in was appropriate: “You Deserve a Donut.”

If you look at the map of our ride you see that it was 10 miles to get to the campus, and since we made it a round trip, it was a 20 mile bike ride. Also, on the map you can see how the bike trail crosses and then parallels Interstate-40, near what’s known as the “Big-I” because it’s the intersection of Interstate-40 and Interstate-25. It’s one of the sections of the trail I especially like because it makes you feel like you’re flying right above one of the busiest parts of the city. The “Big-I” is in the background of the picture above, although it’s hard with a phone camera to capture the panoramic view.

We got home before the wind got too strong and before it got too hot. To get prepared for our planned bike ride in August, though, we are going to have to quit trying to avoid the heat! Now that we both have bikes, let the training begin.

I was invited today to tag along with 3 leaders from the Albuquerque Senior Centers’ Hiking Groups on a hike in the San Pedro Parks Wilderness Area. One of the ladies was scheduled to lead the hike there next week. She was not familiar with the trail, but she knew that Sue was familiar with the area and could also give her some pointers on how to use her GPS device. Driving to the trailhead, about 10 miles from our destination parking spot, we encountered the above sign. We knew right away that it had been a wise decision to preview the hike the week before the senior’s group with a van full of unsuspecting hikers would run into this roadblock.

The leaders put their heads together and consulted their Santa Fe National Forest map and came up with an alternate plan. We did some backtracking and found another trailhead that is used by the group on other hikes. Not only did we get a beautiful 7.5-mile hike out of the deal, but the leader collected the GPS data, the driving data, and a hike description that can be used to create a new hike for the seniors to do in this area.

I was amazed at how green everything was in the surrounding forests and meadows. The wildflowers were out in abundance. A couple of times we could hear the sounds of a nearby elk herd, and at one point, we even spotted a couple of mothers and their calves at the edge of a meadow making their way up a wooded slope. I’m thankful that I was invited to tag along and learn about this part of the Santa Fe National Forest. Lee and I will definitely be adding this to our list of wonderful hiking opportunities in the Albuquerque area.